1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for folding a flexible intraocular implant of which at least an optical portion is made of a flexible material.
More precisely, the invention relates to a device of the pincer type that enables the optical portion of an intraocular implant to be folded automatically, the optical portion being made of a biocompatible flexible material such as a material selected from silicones, hydrophobic acrylics, and hydrophilic acrylics (poly-hydroxyethyl methacrylates (pHEMAs)).
2. Discussion of Related Art
It is known that one of the main advantages of making the optical portion of an intraocular implant out of a flexible material is that it is then possible for said optical portion (which is usually circular or substantially circular) to be folded about a diameter before the resulting folded implant is inserted inside the eye so as to be put in place on the desired internal portion of the eye. It can be understood that, since the optical portion, which can have a diameter of about 6 millimeters (mm) is folded before it is inserted in the eye, the incision that needs to be made in the cornea in order to put the implant in place in this way can be of small size, typically about 3 mm to 4 mm. This situation is particularly advantageous because it is known that, when the incision to be made in the cornea is small in size, the incision heals under good conditions, thereby making it possible to reduce the period of convalescence very significantly.
Naturally, since the implant is transparent and since it is relatively small in size because the diameter of the optical portion is usually about 6 mm, it can be understood that it is relatively difficult to fold said optical portion using conventional surgical instruments. Therefore, mechanical devices have been designed that are capable of performing such folding automatically.
Folding devices are of two types. In a first type, the folding device is in the form of a sort of pair of pincers that has two jaws between which the optical portion of the implant to be folded is placed. Bringing the two jaws towards each other causes the optical portion to be folded, and the surgeon then merely has to take hold of the folded optical portion with suitable forceps.
The second type of folding device can be referred to as an “implant injector” and makes it possible, in a first stage, for the optical portion of the implant to be folded automatically, and in a second stage, for the folded implant to be inserted into the eye by means of a hollow needle with a piston for pushing the folded implant into the needle, it being possible to insert the needle into the incision made in the cornea.
The present invention relates to the first type of implant-folding device, i.e. to the pincer type.
Numerous implant-folding devices of the pincer type, i.e. of the above-described type, are already known. Unfortunately, such known devices suffer from the drawbacks of not usually enabling the optical portion of the implant to be held correctly during the folding operation, and of not enabling the optical portion to be angularly positioned relative to the folding system.